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Representing the 9th District of Florida

Education

Education is fundamental to upward mobility and pursuing the American Dream. Every child must have access to a high-quality K-12 public education, college or technical education, and lifelong learning opportunities.

Federal funding is critical for programs such as English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), Title 1 for economically disadvantaged schools, and to ensure equal access for all students regardless of race, religion, sex, disability, or sexual orientation. It is equally important that states and local school boards control most educational decisions to avoid over-testing our kids or unneeded bureaucracy.

Access to high quality college, apprenticeship and other technical training for adult learners is essential in our rapidly changing economy. Central Floridians and all Americans need to be able to develop and enhance their skills to start new careers and fill the jobs of today and tomorrow.

Darren is fighting to ensure access to low-interest federal student loans with reasonable repayment terms and for job retraining grants to provide technical training for those needing new skills.

Darren is working with members of the Education and Workforce Committee and will file several bills to make access to student loans easier and repayment more affordable.

More on Education

Congressman Darren Soto visited the University of Central Florida's Hillel to engage students in a conversation at their final Shabbat of the semester. Rep. Soto spoke about his recent American Israel Education Foundation trip to Israel and the importance of the US-Israel relationship. The students were then able to engage in a lively Q&A session on issues ranging from net neutrality to topics affecting their communities. The Congressman also provided insights for what is to come next in this legislative session.

WASHINGTON, D.C. –Last Friday, U.S. Representative Darren Soto (FL-09) introduced H.R. #2554, “The Direct Connect to Success Act”, a bill to help striving students who graduate from a two-year community college take the next step in their education. It guarantees grads with at least a 2.0 GPA to admission into a participating four-year state university.

WASHINGTON, D.C –Central Floridians, and many more Americans from working families, depend on community colleges and institutions like Valencia College to be their gateway to a four-year degree. Over the last 11 years, the University of Central Florida’s “Direct Connect” program has fulfilled this promise for hundreds of thousands of students from community colleges across Florida, and 35,000 more students are currently in the pipeline.

Valencia College, with four campuses in Central Florida, is filled with extraordinary students who are fulfilling their academic and professional goals in spite of the obstacles they face. Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and Congressman Darren Soto met with these students to learn about their aspirations and struggles, and how Congress can help them.

WASHINGTON, D.C.-On Monday, January 30th, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and Congressman Darren Soto (FL-09) will join students on the Valencia College Osceola Campus to discuss the daily challenges of pursuing degrees to advance their careers, and entering the workforce after graduation.